The game of Bingo is widely played by individuals of all ages. Playing Bingo requires a variety of paraphenalia including chips, ink markers, pens, pencils, tape, and in some cases other devices such as magnetic wands for picking up chips. Players carry this paraphenalia in everything from paper bags to beach bags and array the items on their table in preparation of playing. To date, no product has been invented for holding and arranging these items for easy transportation and access while playing Bingo.
Handbags, as known today, come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. In addition, they often incorporate special features such as zipper pockets for change, snap on key rings, tethered flashlights, as well as a variety of other accessories.
One type of handbag which has had varying degrees of acceptance is commonly referred to as a "drawstring" handbag. This handbag is generally tubular in configuration, having drawstrings about its uppermost circumference. These drawstrings are mainly enclosed within the interior portions of the handbag, however, drawstring loops on opposed sides of the handbag are exposed. Pulling upon these drawstring loops gathers the material about the top of the handbag, thereby closing the top opening.
A more detailed description of these types of handbags appears in U.S. Pat. No. 875,398, U.S. Pat. No. 1,681,922, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,425,683.
The drawstring handbags described above as well as most other handbags are adapted to be most convenient for a specific type of use. Namely, these handbags serve to hold a significant number of items and allow access to these items, usually one item at a time, from the top opening of the bag. This has led away from handbags such as the original drawstring handbags which simply collected all items mixed together within the handbag and has led to the development of pockets within the handbags. For convenience and ease of access, the openings for these pockets are placed near to the top of the handbag so that other items within the handbag neither block nor interfere with access to the pockets.
While these handbags have met the need for which they were intended, they are not suitable for holding Bingo items and arranging them during play. Thus, the Bingo player must unpack and pack his or her Bingo playing items each time they go to play the game. In addition, since these Bingo items are generally spread out during play, one must also cope with the difficulties encountered due to a lack of room, a problem which is common in most halls, and the concomitant overlapping of the player's items. This is especially compounded when one considers the fact that most markers and the like are virtually indistinguishable one from another.
With these ideas in mind, I began to develop a handbag specifically for the Bingo player.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved handbag which is capable of holding the various items needed to play Bingo in an organized manner.
It is another object of this invention to provide new and useful handbag for Bingo items which can be converted to a holder for displaying the items in an accessible array for use while playing the game.
Another object of this invention is to provide a handbag for carrying Bingo items which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use.
Other objects and advantages of the invention are set forth in part herein and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by using the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.
This invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.